Immunochemical Investigation of Predation on Marine Microzooplankton

定量了解微生物环流生物和悬浮摄食型大型浮游动物之间的联系是当今浮游动物生态学的中心问题之一。这项研究项目将利用一种新开发的免疫化学探针来纤毛原生动物，以在实验室和现场研究中探讨这一联系。该调查克服了传统方法的困难。它允许研究对微型浮游动物的捕食，而不需要收集、浓缩、孵化或保存人工制品。将检验以下假设：1.H0：从近岸上涌域到离岸稳定分层的域，纤毛连接到悬浮摄食的桡足类的纤毛连接中存在跨岸梯度。2.H0：纤毛虫与悬浮摄食的桡足类之间存在着时间上的变化，在上升流事件的松弛期间，这种变化的意义更加显著。3.H0：纤毛虫对共生的悬浮性桡足类物种的重要性存在种间差异。这项研究将对比加州海流系统中三种主要的悬浮摄食的桡足类：上层物种(Calanus Pacphaus CalforNicus)、中层物种(Eucalanus CalforNicus)和强大的垂直迁徙(Metridia Pacillia)。实验室实验将开发更多的抗血清，并表征不同纤毛虫分类群的捕食率。实地研究将与CalCOFI方案一起进行。这些巡航将利用免疫化学斑点杂交、肠道荧光和医用扫描脂质分析，解决纤毛虫与悬浮摄食的桡足类的联系的跨岸和时间变化。更多的巡航将解决底栖性和垂直性差异，以检查这种联系对共存的悬浮摄食型浮游动物物种的意义上的任何种间差异。

Quantitative understanding of the link between microbial loop organisms and suspension-feeding macrozooplankton is one of the central issues in zooplankton ecology today. This research project will utilize a newly developed immunochemical probe to ciliate protozoa to investigate this link in laboratory and field studies. The probe overcomes the difficulties with conventional methodologies. It permits predation on microzooplankton to be studied without artifacts of collection, concentration, incubation, or preservation. The following hypotheses will be tested: 1. H0: A cross-shore gradient exists in the ciliate link to suspension-feeding copepods, from an inshore upwelling domain to an offshore, stably stratified domain. 2. H0: Temporal variations occur in the ciliate link to suspension-feeding copepods, with increased significance during relaxation of upwelling events. 3. H0: Interspecific differences exist in the importance of ciliates to co-occurring species of suspension-feeding copepods. The study will contrast 3 major suspension-feeding copepods in the California Current System: an epipelagic species (Calanus pacificus californicus), a mesopelagic species (Eucalanus californicus), and a strong vertical migrant (Metridia pacifica). Laboratory experiments will develop additional antisera and characterize predation rates on different ciliate taxa. Field research will be conducted in conjunction with the CalCOFI program. These cruises will address cross-shore and temporal variations in the ciliate link to suspension-feeding copepods, utilizing immunochemical dot blots, gut fluorescenec, and Iatroscan lipid analyses. Additional cruises will address diel and vertical variations, to examine any interspcific differences in the significance of this linkage to coexisting species of suspension-feeding zooplankton.